Spurrier wants to return to college ranks

The Associated Press

Published Thursday, November 11, 2004

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Steve Spurrier is seen in this 2003 NFL season photo. Spurrier removed his name from consideration Thursday Nov. 4, 2004 to replace Ron Zook as coach of the Florida Gators, who was fired last week after the latest in a series of embarrassing losses.

AP Photo GAINESVILLE -- Steve Spurrier is making it clear: he wants to return to the college ranks.

Spurrier told several newspapers that he has no intentions of returning to the NFL, where he spent two losing seasons with the Washington Redskins.

Spurrier left Florida in 2002 after 12 winning seasons, six Southeastern Conference championships and a national title. He went 12-20 with the Redskins and resigned after last season.

"I probably decided then that I was done with the NFL," he told The Gainesville Sun. "It wasn't the lifestyle best for me. You don't have scout teams in the NFL. When I was at Florida, I worked with the quarterback every snap for two hours. It wasn't that way in the NFL."

"I've said recently to several people that if I get back coaching, it will probably be a good college job somewhere," Spurrier said. "It seems like I'm better suited for that. I know I certainly had a lot more success in the college game than in the NFL. So if I return to coaching, I think that would probably be the best idea."

Spurrier even took a shot at his NFL record.

"Probably very few NFL teams would want me after the success I had," he said. "Some probably would say that in the right situation I could be successful. But if I had a choice, I'd lean toward the college game. Everybody has their own little niche. The college game was certainly a lot better success-wise for me."

Spurrier withdrew his name from consideration to return to Gainesville, where Ron Zook was fired last month after two-plus seasons.

Spurrier refused to reveal whether he would have taken the job had it been offered, but school president Bernie Machen and athletic director Jeremy Foley weren't planning to extend any invitations without a full-blown search-and-interview process -- something Spurrier may have felt was a slap in the face considering his track record with the Gators.

Now Spurrier could land elsewhere, maybe even with another SEC team.

Spurrier said he would prefer to coach in a warm-weather climate. South Carolina? North Carolina? How about Texas?

He declined to say whether he has spoken to any schools.

"I can't answer all that. I can't answer all your questions. In the next two or three weeks, once the season is over, we'll see what happens," he told The Sun

"I think I've made it clear now that if I go back into coaching, it'll be at a good state university, a college job. Hopefully it will be in the South. I'd rather not get up there in the North."